


Uncertain Companions

by CobaltStargazer



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Birthday Party, Developing Relationship, F/M, Group dynamics, Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-02-09 06:12:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1971927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobaltStargazer/pseuds/CobaltStargazer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's finally Spencer's birthday. No one knows what to expect, but nothing explodes, so that's good, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Uncertain Companions

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another installment.

"Are you sure you're not nervous?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Because I'm a little nervous."

Spencer and Elle were still sitting in the car, and he'd removed the keys from the ignition and was jingling them in his hand. The truth was, she _was_ apprehensive, but she felt like she was covering it well. She grasped his wrist, stilling the motion. The corners of his mouth lifted.

"Come here for a sec."

She leaned over as he closed the distance, and the kiss was quick, but her tongue stroked against his once. A promise for that night. 

"Is that better?"

"Yeah, that helps, thanks."

They climbed the stairs, and he rang the bell .Muted voices could be heard inside. After a minute or two, Garcia answered the door. The colorfully-dressed blonde beamed at them, then called over her shoulder, "Hey, guys, the birthday boy is finally here!"

They stepped into the house, and once the door closed Penelope studied Elle more closely. Part of her wanted to hug the brunette for returning Reid to his usual self, but she wasn't sure it would be appreciated. She'd never been the touchy-feely sort in the past, and she wanted to respect her boundaries. "Wow," she said after a silence. "It feels like its been forever, y'know?"

"Tell me about it," Elle responded. Spencer had moved further into the house, and she heard his voice add itself to the hum coming from the kitchen. Garcia was the first real hurdle, but JJ had been so nice the night they'd had dinner that maybe the hurdle wasn't that high. She touched the blonde's shoulder lightly, a companionable gesture.

The hacker smiled, relieved, and she risked putting her hand over Elle's and squeezing gently. It wasn't quite the bear hug she wanted to give her, but there might be a time and place for that later. "It's good to see you again. I hear Taos is a really nice place to live. A good place for artists to get started."

"Yeah. It's a small community compared to some places, but it has a homey feel to it." The two of them were moving down the hall. It felt a little like being on the way to the principal's office.

Aaron had already greeted Spencer and offered good wishes for the coming year, and when Elle and Penelope stepped into view he managed a reserved smile. He hadn't seen his former colleague since she'd been in town, and he suspected that she'd avoided making an appearance to avoid another confrontation. If she didn't want to make things complicated for Reid, then neither did he.

David noticed the new arrival next, and he offered her a warmer smile. ""So you're one of my predecessors," he said, and she nodded.

"Yeah, I was around in the 'old days'," she responded, making air quotes.

"Elle Greenaway, David Rossi," Derek said, and the two of them exchanged a handshake. She wondered if he knew she'd left the BAU under a cloud. He wondered if her bunking in Reid's apartment meant they were sleeping together. If so, good for him. They'd all hoped he'd be ready for another relationship one day. Or at least make the attempt at one.

"JJ and Will aren't here yet, but they will be soon," Penelope said from her place near the stove, and she picked up her glass of wine before adding, "They had to pick up Henry at his play date."

"I'm looking forward to meeting the kid," Elle said. "JJ showed me some really cute pictures at dinner the other night, and I brought some books for him. I just hope he likes them."

Spencer was waiting for either Hotch or Elle to acknowledge the other, for them to at least speak civilly. He'd be able to breathe easier once that happened. David hadn't finished preparing the meal, and he asked if he could do anything to help. He and Rossi went into the kitchen, and Derek and Penelope moved into the living room with their drinks. The brunette let the silence stretch out, finally cleared her throat.

"Did you bring your kid? What is he, about nine now?"

"Jack is with Haley's sister for the day. I was going to bring him, but I didn't want him to catch whatever might be left of Henry's cold."

Aaron was as stoic as ever when he said it, but there was something even more guarded than normal in his voice. She looked up at him, counted her own breaths. They had liked each other once, and she didn't want to go at him when he wasn't coming at her. If only for Spencer's sake.

"It's good to see you again," he said evenly, but he was looking at a point over her shoulder. Apologies might come later, but given the way she'd reacted when he'd visited her before, he was still withholding judgment. Still, he was an adult, and that meant he could be civil.

"It's pretty good to see you too, Hotch," Elle replied, and he smiled just a little. The doorbell rang, interrupting the moment, and he went to answer it.

JJ had Henry balanced on her hip when she carried him in, and she put him down once Aaron had closed the door. He and Will shook hands, and they drifted into the kitchen. "You're just in time," David said with a smile. "We're just about to put the food on the table, so you missed all the heavy lifting."

Elle watched Spencer crouch down to make eye contact with the boy, and she busied herself with plates as a distraction. "I left those books I brought for him out in the car," she told JJ. "I can get them after we eat."

There was chatter while the meal was brought to the table, and as the group took their seats Spencer touched the back of Elle's hand briefly. His expression was questioning, and she nodded almost imperceptibly. The smells of the food were making her stomach growl, and she smiled at David when she said, "This reminds me of the Sunday dinners I used to have as a kid."

"It'll stick to your ribs, that's for sure," Derek interjected. 

She wondered if this was a regular thing or if it was just because it was Spencer's birthday. It made her feel a little warmer towards them thinking that it might be because of Reid. She still felt a little guilty at not having been there when he'd needed someone, so if they had helped him, then that was a mark in their favor.

Conversation over the meal was surprisingly easy. David told several stories about his early career with the Bureau, primarily to put the newcomer at ease, and everyone gradually breathed easier, even Spencer. He strongly suspected that they all wondered about the status of his relationship with the brunette, but he wasn't going to acknowledge the silent elephant in the room. When _he_ didn't even know what their status was, it wasn't an open subject for conversation.

When dinner was finished, David said they could leave the dishes and he'd clear them away later. "Garcia's in charge of gifts tonight," he said as the small group retired to the living room. They took seats, and the blonde bustled in with a freshly opened bottle of wine. Henry was sitting next to his father, and Elle made eye contact with the boy when she felt him watching her.

"Did you bring a present?"

"Henry," JJ said in a gently reproving voice, and the brunette waved away the other woman's concern. "I did, actually. It was too big to fit in the car."

Spencer, who had taken up space next to her, said, "It's enough of a present that she's here."

The ex-profiler gave him another of those warm looks she couldn't control, and he slung his arm across the backrest of the sofa so that his hand brushed against her shoulder. God, she was gonna give herself away, give _them_ away, and he'd just earned himself one free pounce when they were back at his place.  
.  
Hotch was the one to break the silence when he offered Reid his gift, and he was the tiniest bit pleased despite himself. This line of work was difficult for everyone, and Spencer had had so many tragedies befall him that anything that could lighten his load was welcome. His ambivalence towards Elle aside, he couldn't begrudge it _much_ if the younger man was a little happy.

Spencer unwrapped his gifts, giving thanks for them as each object was revealed. His friends knew him, and he received books. "I'm going to need more space," he joked as he took the paper off the last square object. 

"Read them in good health, hon," Penelope said. It was good to see him smile, look less haunted. 

"I propose a toast," David said, and everyone looked in his direction as he finished refilling his glass and lifted it. 

"To absent friends." Spencer smiled wistfully. He'd heard from Emily via email, and Alex had contacted him on Skype, which he was just beginning to get the hang of using. They hadn't been able to be at his party, but they were here in spirit, and that counted.

"To _new_ friends." Elle's shoulder bumped his, and he kept his expression neutral out of habit, but warmth pooled in his stomach.

"And to lots more birthdays, and lots more books." 

Spencer laughed, clinked his glass with Rossi's. The others followed suit, the _ping_ of wine glasses making contact over the sound of Reid's amusement. For this one evening, the horrors most of them confronted every day were far away, and they were just themselves.

And Elle almost - _almost_ \- felt like one of them again.


End file.
